A former U.S. State Department official says North Korea could be in possession of up to 18 nuclear weapons by 2019 if negotiations on Pyongyang’s nuclear dismantlement fail to take place.

Joel Wit, a visiting fellow at the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies, made the statement in a recent report titled "Four Scenarios for a Nuclear North Korea."

Wit said in the report that if North Korea is able to refurbish its fuel fabrication plant, production rates could continue indefinitely, with its arsenal reaching 14 to 18 weapons by 2019.

He said that should the nuclear talks collapse, the North would seek to reactivate its nuclear facilities in Yongbyon to produce more plutonium.

He said that if the nuclear talks continue to remain at a standstill without reaping progress, cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan would be crucial.

He added that in the event the North’s regime collapses, the most imperative task would be to swiftly identify and safely secure concealed nuclear weapons facilities.